Let you know if, IF, I need something? Really? Day or night? Are we being serious here? Yes OF COURSE I’m going to need things! Most of all SLEEP. You know what I can’t do when I haven’t slept? Think of specific things to tell all the well meaning people who superficially offered to help me during this time. If we are being honest, here’s a list of things I’m going to need. Someone who will...

There you go. So simple right? Well no, it’s absolutely not simple. Appreciation takes time and effort and selflessness. But is it worth it? Absolutely. Your children deserve an appreciated mother. Your wife deserves an appreciative husband. The husband, yes, also deserves to be appreciated. If you want to know about that, search for it on Pinterest. You’ll find more than enough pins to guide you through that process.

Let you know if, IF, I need something? Really? Day or night? Are we being serious here? Yes OF COURSE I’m going to need things! Most of all SLEEP. You know what I can’t do when I haven’t slept? Think of specific things to tell all the well meaning people who superficially offered to help me during this time. If we are being honest, here’s a list of things I’m going to need. Someone who will...

Listen up men! Let’s be honest, buying presents for the lady in your life is STRESSFUL! You spend weeks, months, or, if you’re a procrastinator, days, asking her what she wants only to hear, “I don’t really want anything honey, as long as the kids get their presents, I’m happy!” Which only leaves you thinking “Well, that doesn’t really help me out dear!” We get it. It’s stressful. Honestly though, we can’t usually see past the list for our kids, and if you’re lucky, what we want to get you. That’s why I’m stepping in and speaking up for all the moms out there. Here is my list of top 10 presents that we will absolutely love, even if we didn’t ask for them! In no particular order.

1. A Day at the Spa.

This gift can be as big or as small as you want. It’s really the thought, that it’s important to you that she spends time on herself, that matters. Whether she loves getting her nails done, has been mentioning needing a facial or has commented in passing about wanting a new hairstyle, this gift works for almost every woman in America. This gift doesn’t have to break the bank either. For as little as $40-$50, you can pamper your lady love with a mani/pedi! That’s a manicure and pedicure...fingers and toes.

2. Gift Card(s) to Her Favorite Craft or Home Decor Store.

I’m pretty sure you’d be hard pressed to find a mom that couldn’t spend hours in Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, or Home Goods dreaming of all the things she wants to fill her home with! Most of the time though, given some extra cash, she isn’t going to think to go to these types of stores. BUT, given a gift card specifically to these stores, I guarantee you she will be giddy showing you all the fun things she bought!

3. Good Hair Products

There are two types of women, those who are meticulous about their beauty care products and those who don’t realize they're out of shampoo until they go to grab the bottle in the shower only to get half a drop. Regardless of which one of those she is, splurging on nice hair care products for your lady will be appreciated and probably shock her a little! If she is the meticulous type, chances are you can take a picture of her products and do a quick search online to find similar products she would love. If she’s the "half a drop" type, visit somewhere like ULTA and ask for assistance from a sales person. You should be able to show them a picture of your wife (or girlfriend, I don’t judge) and have them recommend products. Either way, this gift will show you really pay attention!

4. Wine and Chocolate

Maybe she’s more of a beer and pretzels kind of lady or even liquor and..whatever you eat while drinking liquor? No matter her preferred indulgence, getting her a little after-hours mommies-only gift basket hand picked by you is sure to make her smile! Get her that bottle of her favorite beverage, a nice new glass and a few of her favorite snacks You know the ones. She hides them from the kids and carefully brings them out once she’s SURE they’re asleep? Yes those! Get them. It doesn’t matter if it’s a $6 bottle of wine or a $35 bottle of liquor, a $3 chocolate bar or a specialty $15 bag of gourmet pretzels, it’s the thought that counts. Seeing a trend here?

5. Voucher for a Dinner/Night Out With Friends

This gift is so simple it can be done on Christmas Eve when you realize you forgot to get her something. Write her a nice little note about how you’ll spend the evening with the kids while she goes out and enjoys some adult conversation and actually eating her meal while it’s still hot. Include cash so she doesn’t feel guilty about spending money on herself when the time to go actually comes. You’re guaranteed to get a hug and a “Oh thank you so much honey!” out of this gift!

6. A PLANNED Date Night or Weekend Away

So with this gift, the key word is PLANNED. The last thing you want to do is add more stress with the present. If you go with this gift, YOU will need to plan out the details. All of them. Don’t tell her you have a great weekend planned then expect her to take care of child care, reservations, scheduling, etc. Done correctly, this gift will sweep her right back off her feet! It can be as simple as a nice dinner out or as elaborate as a weekend away out of town. You guys may get on our nerves with the everyday stresses of life and kids but that doesn’t mean we don’t still adore you and secretly crave escaping real life and running away with you. A few hours or a few days, remembering that we are still more than mom and dad will be the perfect gift!

7. Canvas Prints

We all have those pictures we’ve been meaning to print for years and just haven’t gotten around to it. All too often, looking into creating one canvas turns into creating ten, which in-turn becomes cost prohibitive. Chances are, you know of at least one to three that we’ve been dreaming about getting enlarged. Pick one, doesn’t matter how old it is, and get it printed professionally on canvas. Warning, this gift may induce tears.

8. Family Portrait Session

Yes, we know you hate getting all dressed up and posing with a fake smile on your face for family photos. This is why we don’t push for them as often as we would like. You hear torture, we hear priceless family photos to be loved for generations to come. You think $$$, we think of our grandchildren looking back at their parents when they were little. So, knowing you feel this way, gifting us a family portrait session is the ultimate self sacrifice for our happiness. And we will love you that much more for it!

9. Massage

A fail safe gift for almost every single mom in the world. Don’t worry about coming across as cheesy, we won’t care. An hour to ourselves, with someone taking care of our aching body is heaven.

10. Gift Card to Her Favorite Clothing Store

A brand new outfit that isn’t stretched out from a baby pulling on it, covered in spit up/food, or from pre-child era when our bodies were completely different. What a concept! There is something so refreshing about putting on a new outfit that makes us feel like a million bucks!

If you really want to blow the holidays out of the park, I suggest combining suggestions 1, 4, 6, 9, and 10. No matter what you choose, showing her you pay attention and that she matters, independently from being a mom, will be all you need to wow her. Happy Holidays!